Refrigerating apparatus and manually operable mechanical defrosting means therefor



March 1957 c. E. ALBERTSON ,78

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS AND MANUALLY OPERABLE MECHANICAL DEFROSTING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Nov. 25, 1953 it i g W m @m United REFRIGERATING APPARATUS AND MANUALLY GPERABLE MECHANICAL DEFROSTIN G S THEREFOR Qlarence E, Albertson, Villa Park, Ill., assignor to Borgarner Qorpora'tion, Chicago, 111., a corporation of This invention relates, in general, to refrigerating apparatus and has particular reference to an improved form of manually operable mechanical defrosting means ther fo Qtherwise stated, the invention is embodied in refrigcrating apparatus and is directed to simplify the structural features and mode of operation thereof, and to prpvide a manually operable mechanical defrosting means which may readily and conveniently be employed universally to various types of refrigerator systems presently being spmmer a y exp oited.

More specifically stated, it is a particular object and accomplishment of the invention to provide for refrigerating apparatus a manually operable mechanical detrstti s means- It is a general object and accomplishment of the invention to provide a refrigerating apparatus which is particularly adaptable for employment in a refrigerating system of the type wherein a refrigerating medium is circulated through a closed system and is successively compressed in a gaseous state, condensed into a liquid and then expanded by evaporation at a relatively high pres sure, the invention being particularly concerned with a mannally operable mechanical defrosting means employed fiFljtl nctiyely to and disposed in operative association with the evaporator of the aforedescribed refrigerating system.

Another object and accomplishment of the invention is to provide an improved refrigerating system by co-relating and especially designing the various elements thereof toeifect advantageous cooperation between said improved elements as will best serve the purpose of providing an eliicieritsystem capable of being manufactured at low cost aidsyet giving the maximum of satisfactory service use.

. further object and accomplishment of the invention i810 provideimprovements in refrigerating systems and manually operable mechanical defrosting means therefgr which shall have a novel and compact arrangement oflparts wherein said parts can be easily and readily ass embled and serviced.

An ancillary object and accomplishment of the invention is to provide a new and improved refrigerating apparatus and manually operable mechanical defrosting means therefor which is adapted to be economically manufactured, andwhich is so designed as to permit the manufacture and assembly thereof in accordance with present day large scale mass production manufacturing m'ethTods of construction and assembly.

The invention seeks, as a further object and accomplishment, to provide a manually operable mechanical defrosting means for a refrigerating system particularly characterized by a design arrangement to more advantageously and satisfactorily perform the functions required of it and adapted to provide a compact unit which will successfully combine the factors of structural simplicity and durability and yet be economical to manufacture.

2,785,541 Patented Mar. 19, 1 957 g RE Additional objects, features and advantages of the in vention disclosed herein will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after the operation and construction thereof are understood from the within description. It is prefe rred to accomplish the various objects of this invention and to practice the same in substantially the 'manner'as more fully described herein, and as more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein:

Fig. 1 diagrammatically illustrates a refrigerating system incorporating the manualy operable mechanical defrosting means embodying the features of the presentinvention;

Fig. .2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator cabinet having incorporated therein the manually operable mechanical defrosting means contemplated bythe present invention; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the manually operable mechanical defrosting means "depicted in Figs. 1 and 2 with portions thereof shown in section to more clearly illustrate the construction thereof.

The drawings are to be understood as being more or less of a schematic character for the purpose of illustrating and disclosing a preferred form of the improvem nts contemplated herein, and in the drawings like reference characters identify the same eral views.

As one possible example of advantageous employment of the refrigerating system and manually operable mechanical defrosting means therefor, reference is made to the drawings, particularly Fig. 1 wherein there is diagrammatically illustrated a refrigerating apparatus designated in its entirety by the letter A. The described system may be of the compressor-condenser-expandef type wherein refrigerant is circulated by means of a compressor through a condenser for extracting or dissipating heat from the refrigerator medium and thence to a freezer or evaporator in which the refrigerant medium is expanded or vaporized for absorbing "heat, and the refrigerant medium is thereafter returned to the compressor from whence the cycle is repeated.

The manually operable mechanical defrosting means with'which the present invention is particularly concerned and designated in its entirety by thenumeral .20 as being adjunctively employed, for example, with the refrigerating system shown in Fig. 1.

[The illustrated refrigerating system may comprise a motor compressor unit 10. After undergoing compression, the hot refrigerantilows through a discharge line 12 and through the convolutions of a condenser 13 which is air cooled in the conventional manner, JlIhlS extraction parts in the sevof heat being effective to'reduce in some degree both the pressure and the temperature of the refrigerant, although both are quite high compared to normal atmospheric conditions.

Afterthe mixed vapors and liquid refrigerant are discharged from the condenser, they will flow through a conduit 14 and into a valving device, which in this particular case is illustrated as a capillarytube or ,restrictor 15, which is connected to the evaporator 16 It is notable that the refrigerant is throttled in passing the restrictor 15 andthereafter will be expanded at. the discharge side of the restrictor and will be further expanded in the evaporator 16 so that it will become quite cooled, and is therefore capable of absorbing heat from the storage compartment of the refrigerator and from the contents thereof. After making its circuitous path through the evaporator 16, the expanded and expended refrigerant is then returned to the motor compressor li it ory meam of'asuctionline 17, thus completing the closed circuit;

The manually operable mechanical defrosting means with which the present invention is particularly concerned is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 and designated in its entirety by the numeral 20. It can be seen that the defroster mechanism 20 is operatively associated with the evaporator 16 forming a component part of the refrigerating system A as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The refrigerating system A may be incorporated in a cabinet indicated in its entirety by the letter B and which may comprise a food storage compartment 30, a freezer compartment 31, said freezer compartment 31 having a swingable door 32 and said cabinet having a door 33 adapted to enclose both the food storage compartment 30 and the freezer compartment 31.

r The food storage compartment 30 may have shelves as at 34, 35 and 36. The freezer compartment 31 may have shelves 37, 38 and 39.

The compressor as shown in Fig. 1 may be disposed in a machinery compartment 40 disposed in the lower regions of the cabinet B.

It is notable that the food storage compartment 30 and the freezer compartment 31 are divided by means of a baflle indicated in its entirety by the numeral 41 and having a plurality of preferably louvered openings 42 adaptedto permit limited circulation of air between the freezer compartment 31 and the food compartment 30.

. Suflice it to say, since the invention is not particularly concerned with the precise construction of the refrigerating system A as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1, and/or its associated parts they will not be further described in detail, and it is deemed sufficient for all intentions and purposes herein contained to show only portions thereof adjacent to and cooperating with the manually operable mechanical defrosting means with which the present invention is particularly concerned.

Before explaining in detail the present invention, attention is invited to the premises that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention obviously is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Moreover, the details of construction of such compressor 10, condenser 13 and the evaporator 16, and/ or their associated parts, may be modified to suit particular conditions or to satisfy the engineering genius of various competitive manufacturers, and I do not wish to be limited to the construction of these elements as set forth except where such construction particularly concerns the invention contemplated herein. Furthermore, the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirement of the prior art.

Having thus described, by way of example, a possible adaptation of the manually operable mechanical defrosting means and the general environment surrounding said adaptation, thespecific details of construction and cooperating functions of the various parts of said defrosting meanswith which the present invention is particularly concerned will now be described in detail.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention depicted in Figs, 2 and 3, the manually operable mechanical defrosting means 20 with which the present invention is particularly concerned comprises, in general, a metallic flexible sheet 50 formed to define corrugations as shown with the convolutions of the evaporator conduit 16 being disposed in the corrugated form alternately running from one side of said metallic flexible sheet 50 to the other side thereof as shown,the convolutions of said evaporator tubing 16 being brazed or otherwise secured to said metallic fiexible'sheet, a flexible rubber gasket frame member 51 having groove means 52 adapted to receive a side marginal edge of the metallic flexible sheet 50,

a'flexible rubber gasket frame member 55 having groove 4 means 56 adapted to receive the other side marginal edge 57 of said metallic flexible sheet 50, and said flexible rubber gasket frame member 55 having a handle grip 59 (Fig. 2).

In Fig. 2 it can be seen that the defrosting mechanism 20 and the evaporator conduit 16 is disposed vertically in the freezer compartment 31 adjacent the baflle 41. With this arrangement of parts, the freezer compartment 31 will have lower temperatures therein than the food storage compartment 30. The differential in tempera: tures between the food compartments 30 and 31 being maintained and accomplished by the baflle 41 which permits restricted circulation of air between these compartments through the louvered openings 42 in the bafiie 41. Thus, higher temperatures will prevail in the food compartment 30 than will be found in the freezer compartment 31.

The metallic flexible sheet 50 may be suitably coated with a silicone to prevent wetting and to facilitate ice removal therefrom.

It can be seen in Fig. 3 that the upper and lower bends of the evaporator conduit 16 project substantially and sufficiently respectively above and below the upper and lower marginal edges of the metallic flexible sheet 50 to prevent metal fatigue due to flexing.

The flexible rubber gasket frame member 51 may be suitably secured to the rear wall of the freezer compartment 31 so as to maintain the parts associated therewith: in their assembled relationship as shown in Fig. 2.

In operation, defrosting of the evaporator conduit 16 and the metallic flexible sheet 50 is accomplished by manually flexing the metallic flexible sheet 50 by means of the handle 59 which will crack off the ice from these parts and thus defrost the evaporator.

Because of its simple construction, the manually oper able mechanical defrosting means contemplated herein is economical to manufacture and is readily adapted to mass production manufacturing methods.

From the foregoing disclosure, it may be observed that I have provided a refrigerating apparatus and manually operable mechanical defrosting means therefor which efficiently fulfills the objects as hereinbefore set forth and which provides numerous advantages which may be summarized as follows:

1. structurally simple, eflicient and durable;

2. Economical to manufacture 'and readily adaptable to mass production manufacturing principles; and

3. The provision of a refrigerating apparatus having defrosting means operable by manually flexing portions of the evaporator forming 'a part of the refrigerating apparatus, thereby to crack ofl accumulated ice and thus defrost the evaporator.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited'to the precise details of construction set forth, but wish to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor, condenser and evaporator in a closed cyclic path, said. evaporator having conduits for refrigerant, a cabinet having a swingable door, means including a baffle having a plurality of louvered openings and disposed in said cabinet to divide said cabinet into two chambers, a

metallic flexible member disposed in one of said chambers, said evaporator conduits being carried by said metallic flexible member, and means including a hand grip car-- ried by said metallic flexible member operable to facilitate crack ice eluding a baffle having a plurality of louvered openings and disposed in said cabinet to divide said cabinet'into two chambers, a metallic flexible member disposed in one of said chambers, evaporator conduits supported on said flexible member and means including a hand grip carried by said metallic flexible member operable to facilitate manual flexing of said metallic member to crack ice formed thereupon.

3. A refrigerator comprising a cabinet having disposed therein a louvered baffle dividing said cabinet into two chambers, a swingable door for said cabinet, a swingable door for one of said chambers, said refrigerating apparatus including a compressor, condenser and evaporator in a closed cyclic path, said evaporator having conduits for refrigerant, a metallic flexible member disposed in one of said chambers adjacent said baflle, said evaporator conduits being fixedly secured to said metallic flexible member, and means including a hand grip carried by said metallic flexible member operable to facilitate manual flexing of said metallic flexible member and said evaporator conduit secured thereto to crack ice formed thereupon.

4. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a cabinet, a baflle vertically disposed in said cabinet to divide said cabinet into two chambers, said baffle having a plurality of louvered openings adapted to permit limited circulation of air between said chambers, a door for one of said chambers arranged to permit circulation of air between said chambers only through said louvered openings, said refrigerating apparatus including a compressor, condenser and evaporator in a closed cyclic path, said evaporator having conduits for refrigerant, and means including a corrugated shaped member disposed adjacent said baflle in said chamber having said door, and said evaporator conduits being fixedly secured to said corrugated shaped member.

5. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a cabinet, a battle vertically disposed in said cabinet to divide said cabinet into two chambers, said baffle having a plurality of louvered openings adapted to permit limited circulation of air between said chambers, a compressor, condenser and evaporator arranged in said cabinet in a closed cyclic path, said evaporator having conduits for refrigerant, and means including a flexible corrugated shaped member disposed adjacent said baflle in said chamber having said door, and said evaporator conduits being fixedly secured to said corrugated shaped member.

6. A refrigerator cabinet having disposed therein a louvered baffle dividing said cabinet into two chambers, a metallic flexible member vertically disposed in one of said chambers adjacent said baffle, refrigerant conduits secured to said flexible member and means including a hand grip carried by said metallic flexible member 0perable to facilitate manual flexing of said metallic flexible member to crack ice formed upon said conduits and said member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,482,227 Field Jan. 29, 1924 1,758,073 Davenport May 13, 1930 1,896,953 Hassell Feb. 7, 1933 2,010,259 Fretter Aug. 6, 1935 2,110,022 Kliesrath Mar. 1, 1938 2,306,480 Ketcham Dec. 29, 1942 2,576,208 Benson Nov. 27, 1951 2,613,511 Walsh Oct. 14, 1952 2,683,356 Green July 13, 1954 

